The theme of the first biennale – ‘Planet Parade’ – plays on the idea of eschatological expectations for the year 2012: Art Arsenal (the space where the biennale is to be held and where the works of more than 80 artists from over 40 countries will be shown) is presented as a kind of Noah’s Arch where contemporary art can save one from all the calamities of the outside world.

Although Art Arsenal is the initiator and the main organizer of the fair, the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine and the Kyiv city administration are involved too. Arsenale’s budget exceeds 38 million UAH, with half of the funds coming from Ukrainian government.

Arsenale is scheduled to open on the 17^th of May 2012, with its end date set for late summer 2012. The main part of the project will be shown in Art Arsenal space, which measures up to 20 000 m². Special projects will be housed in the Modern Art Research Institute, National Art Museum of Ukraine, Kyiv Museum of Russian Art, “The Chocolate House” and ‘Lavra’ gallery. Satellite projects will be on display in private galleries, art-centers, foundations and museums of Kyiv.

David Elliot, the curator of the main project of Arsenale, was the director of the Oxford Museum of Contemporary Art, Moderna Museet in Stockholm, the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo and the Istanbul Museum of Contemporary Art. He was also the curator of the latest Sidney biennale.  

openspace.ru